Introduction
The vast majority of products, especially new products, don’t have the marketing budgets to proactively communicate their features and benefits to consumers before the “moment of purchase” in retail stores or online.
The product standing alone on shelf must be able to generate awareness and trial, all by itself. This makes great package design with strategically correct copy and graphics, essential for success.
To achieve this, here are the 3 “Must-Do’s” of great pack design template.
Shelf Impact That Stands Out
The first step for any product is to gain awareness on shelf by standing out from the crowd. In a sea of products on shelf, a successful pack design breaks the overall category look, and brings attention to itself. Here are 2 successful examples:
Terra Delyssa
The use of a solid yellow label colour across the entire bottle face creates excellent brand blocking that is noticeable on shelf. This “bill-board” effect creates attention and becomes noticed by the consumer standing 3-6 feet away in a grocery aisle.
Gain
In a shelf set with the market leader Tide, in its classic orange colour, and other brands using traditional white and blue colours, Gain stands out from the shelf. The use of a vibrant “green” breaks traditional colours codes for laundry detergents. Gain has achieved noticeability and shelf impact.
Brand Dominance
For all products, being able to see and read a brand name while shopping a grocery aisle 3-6 feet away, is a “Must-Do”; this is of greater importance for new products. To do this, a package design and copy communication must prioritize the brand name itself. This improves recognition and shop-ability, and delivers higher brand recall during future shopping activity. Note that for both “Royale” and “Scotties” this is accomplished; these brand names dominate the pack!
To contrast this, see the brand called “Noops.” This new product does not present a dominant brand name. On shelf, this brand name has less visibility and will build less brand awareness. “Noops” is presented in a secondary position.
Meaningful Perceptible Difference (MPD)
The third “Must-Do” is to ensure that the front facing panel of the product package communicates the reason to buy, thus creating purchase intent. Putting the MPD on the front pack panel provides the purchase decision rationale for why a consumer should buy a product. This is true for existing, new, or revitalized products. In this example (shown), “Finish” makes the performance claim right on the front of the pack – “Powers Through Toughest Messes The 1st Time.” This is a superiority efficacy claim that the brand believes is true and will motivate consumer purchase. All new products, particularly new brands, should have their MPD clearly communicated on the front of the package.
Summary
In summary, executing these 3 “Must-Do’s” on your packaging are the basic constructs to a great product pack design. Although there are additional packaging elements to execute, these are the three foundational elements of great packaging that will deliver higher sales.
